


Halloween Used to Be Fun

by BowTy_TheWritingPupper



Category: Original Work
Genre: Creepy, Happy halloween, Horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-26 12:36:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12557528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BowTy_TheWritingPupper/pseuds/BowTy_TheWritingPupper
Summary: Calvin used to love Halloween.





	Halloween Used to Be Fun

Halloween was one of Calvin’s favorite holidays. When he was younger, he would go trick-or-treating with his father. The two of them would spend almost the entire month before planning out costumes and mapping out only the best neighborhoods to trick-or-treat in. After a month of strategic planning, Calvin and his father would have the time of their lives. Their candy reward would last for months afterwards and sometimes even until his birthday, in March. Those days, in Calvin’s opinion, were some of the best in his life.  
However, once his two younger brothers were born and he grew into his teen years, the Halloween excitement ground to a halt. The month of planning with his father was replaced with changing diapers, sleepless nights, and trying to find costumes for his brothers instead of finding his. This was not too much of a problem for him, though. He would usually dig into his closet and let his creativity do the work. Not long after that, his age became a problem. When he would trick-or-treat with his family, everyone would coo over his younger brothers and fill their baskets. With Calvin, however, people would just look at him awkwardly before closing their doors. There was the rare kind soul that gave him a piece of candy or two, but it was significantly less than what he had gotten years past. At some point, he was lucky if he got is small, beaten up Halloween bucket even a quarter of the way full.  
By the time he was fourteen, Calvin lost hope in Halloween. He hung up his attempt at a costume and instead settled for a light hoodie to fend off the night air as he would watch his brothers trick-or-treat with his dad. During the first couple of years, he would watch from the sidewalk in petty envy as they received handfuls of candy from the houses they visited. After that, he just accepted the fact that he was too old to trick-or-treat. Soon, he just wanted see his brothers have the fun he once had. Despite his changed attitude, the nagging feelings of anger and jealousy never quite left the back of his thoughts.  
When he was eighteen, his dad trusted him to take his brothers trick-or-treating by himself. “I have to get some extra things for school. Do you think you can handle taking your brothers trick-or-treating?” he had asked with his nose in a textbook. Calvin knew and respected the work he was doing to be able to start his own private practice as a therapist. Calvin had readily agreed, telling him, “I’ve got it, dad. It’ll be like babysitting them at home.”  
Calvin found out soon after they left that it was not that simple. At home, they were in a closed environment. Here, they ran the risk of getting hit by a car, getting into a fight with another kid, or getting lost. His brothers were dressed in twin peanut butter and jelly jars, even though they were a year apart in age. He could easily lose them in the sea of drug store costumes. Calvin just opted to hold their hands to keep them from running away.  
During the times his brothers were getting candy from a house or waiting in line to do so, Calvin would pull out his phone to text his close friend, Becca. At first, the two just talked about random tv shows and games, but as the night wore on, Calvin couldn’t help but let out his bottled frustration.  
9:12 p.m.  
Calvin: I’m taking my little brothers trick-or-treating tonight. I hate it…  
9:12 p.m.  
Becca: how come? I thought you liked Halloween.

9:16 p.m.  
Calvin: Yeah I liked it when I was a kid. Now its no fun anymore,

Calvin: Now I’m just watching greedy kids running arounf on sugar highs.

9:19 p.m.  
Becca: i get what you mean. i think it’s nice that you’re taking them trick-or-treat, though.

 

Calvin let out a reluctant sigh into the cool autumn air as he looked at the message on his  
screen. He knew that Becca meant well in what she said, but it only served to upset him even more. He decided that there was a good stopping point in the conversation and pocketed the phone.  
When he looked up, his brothers were nowhere in sight. The amount of children in the area had gone down significantly as the time wore on and porch lights started going out. Despite that fact, Calvin couldn’t see his brothers anywhere. He tried calling out their names, but got no answer. Panic began to set in as he ran to search for his missing siblings.  
After about an hour, Calvin stopped at a random street corner, panting. He had run through the entire neighborhood looking for his brothers only to come up empty handed. He sat down on the portion of the curb under the street light to catch his breath.  
Calvin reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone to check the time and swore under his breath when he saw that it was already half past ten. He started at the bright screen in his hand for a few more minutes, debating whether he should call his dad and come clean or not. Before he can make his decision, he heard the sound of a voice clearing behind him.  
The teen jumped up from his spot and spun around to face whoever was behind him. Whoever it was stood just outside of the reach of the street light. Squinting, the best Calvin could do was make out the vague outline of a tall man in baggy clothes. The blood in Calvin’s veins froze and he broke out in a cold sweat of fear as he slowly backed away from the figure and into the street.  
“Wait!” The man exclaimed as he reached his hand out for the teen. When he did, the light from the street lamp allowed Calvin to catch a glimpse of the man’s hand. He was wearing white gloves and the exposed sleeve was puffy, dotted with large pink and red polka dots. The swift realization of what the man was dressed as made Calvin stumble back into the middle of the street before he feel on his back, knocking his head hard into the pavement. With a groan, Calvin rubbed the back of his head and tried to sit up. The man took that opportunity to step out fully into the light.  
He was wearing a typical clown suit. The one-piece suit was puffed out. It was so big and the man inside was so small that it looked like it was hollow and just filled with air. One of his hands was held almost casually behind his back. His face was covered in thick white paint while his lips, pulled up in a large and almost unnatural smile, was painted completely black. His head was shaved completely bald and was also painted white. The closer Calvin looked, the more he realized that he could not find even a hint of actual skin color. The clowns large, black eyes stared down at him in amusement and excitement.  
“A little jumpy, are we?” The man chuckled to himself. His voice did not match his look. He sounded like an accomplished business man; not like a creepy clown that just walked up to a random kid on the sidewalk. His grin only grew as he watched Calvin scramble to his feet.  
“Hey, man. I don’t want any trouble,” Calvin said simply as he gave the man what was supposed to be a glare, but ended up being more of a worried glance.  
The clown stood up straight and put his hands behind his back. “Oh no. I would not wish to bring you trouble. I wish only to return to you something that has been lost.” The clown only continued to smile as he looked down at the now confused boy.  
“Wh-What do you mean? I haven’t lost anything,” Calvin claimed defensively as he took a step back. He did manage a light glare at the clown this time.  
The man offered a deep chuckle at his statement. He pulled the hand previously behind his back in front of him, revealing that he was holding two old and beaten up ropes. When he only got an even more confused look from Calvin, he frowned slightly and tugged on the ropes.  
Two young boys stumbled out of the shadows. They hands were tired behind their backs with the old rope. Both boys had their mouth and eyes covered with duct tape, effectively muting their screams and blinding them. The peanut butter and jelly costumes immediately caught Calvin’s attention. He ran over to them and dropped to his knees, catching them before they fell from their lack of sight and the strength of the tug. Calvin hugged both of his brothers close in his arms as he searched them for any injuries. Before he could really look, however, he was thrown back and away from the two by the back of his hoodie.  
The clown firmly planted himself between Calvin and his brothers. He was once again grinning down at time, who was once again on his butt on the ground. “Ah ah ah. It is not that easy, Calvin.” The man all but growled out. Despite his cheerful demeanor, Calvin could tell that he was not happy.  
Calvin jumped up from his spot on the ground and tried to punch the clown in his face, but was blocked by the clown’s free hand. The clown used his other hand to jab Calvin in his stomach, making the boy crumble to the ground in pain. Calvin never was much of a fighter.  
“I have a proposition for you if you will quiet and still long enough to listen.” Calvin only groaned in pain. He could not say anything because he was winded from the punch, but he hoped that clown would take the noise as defiance anyway. The clown only rolled his eyes before continuing.  
“I can make sure your brothers get home safe and unharmed, but it will not be for free. I want you in exchange.” The clown’s tone was cold and calculated, as if he knew what he wanted ages ago. Calvin’s head snapped up to stare at the clown in disgust. He struggled to get to his feet.  
“W-Why do you want me?” Calvin asked in a whisper as he held his aching torso. The clown’s smile turned into a smirk when Calvin gained the strength to look him in the eye.  
“You are not a very subtle boy. You have been stewing with jealousy and anger all night. I have been watching you and your family in particular for years now. Halloween used to be so much fun before your brothers came along. After that, it all went downhill, did it not? I know exactly how you feel. Why can’t Halloween be fun as an adult too? It is not fair, and you see that. So I am offering you a chance to enjoy Halloween again in one of two ways. In the first way, I could let you go home, but your brothers would be mine. I would be taking them off your hands so that you could once again enjoy Halloween like you used to. In the second way, I could let your brothers go home safe and sound, but you would be mine. With me, you would help me recruit other people just like us. I will do the same with your brothers if you pick the first option.”  
Calvin scowled up at the clown and was met with the same disgusting smile that seemed almost permanently plastered on his face. Before Calvin could say anything on the matter, the clown spoke once again.  
“You have ten seconds to make your decision. I do not have all night,” The clown said curtly, moving his hands back behind his back. Calvin looked behind him and towards his brothers. They were on the ground, squirming and trying fight against their restraints the best they could. He could feel all of the anger and jealousy he had harbored over the years at the two. It wasn’t just Halloween that was the problem, but everything they had done. Everything had changed after the were born. He didn’t want the change. He wanted everything to go back to how it was. He wanted so much to go to it being only him and his dad, but did they really deserve this? He knew his time was running out.  
Calvin stood up straight before starring the clown in his eyes. He made his decision.

That night at exactly 11:48 p.m., Michael and Nick Allan arrived at the doorstep unharmed. Calvin Allan was never seen again.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a Halloween short story I did for a friend. Don't be afraid to leave a comment if you have any questions or comments. I hope you enjoyed it and wish you all a Happy Halloween!


End file.
